Chidinma Ojukwu, the University of Lagos undergraduate and prime suspect in the murder of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, testified before the Lagos High Court on Monday, revealing that fear prevented her from reporting Ataga’s death to the police.

The former 300-level Mass Communication student made this statement while continuing her defence before trial judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, at the court session held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island.

Ojukwu claimed that she had previously read about incidents where people who reported crimes ended up being accused themselves. This, she said, contributed to her fear and hesitation in contacting the authorities.

She stated, “I also thought of calling the gateman again because I had called him while at the staircase of the apartment, but immediately I ended the call because I was scared.”

READ ALSO: Chidinma Tells Court How She Found Usifo Ataga Dead In Lekki Apartment

Ataga’s Body Discovery 

Ojukwu further detailed the events following her discovery of Ataga’s lifeless body on June 16, 2021, in a pool of blood at the short-let apartment in Lekki, where they had been staying.

While being led in evidence by her counsel, Onwuka Egwu, Ojukwu explained that she was scrolling through WhatsApp messages on the morning of June 16 when she noticed a message she had sent to Ataga.

To her surprise, the message had been read, and Ataga was shown to be online.

“I was going through my phone on WhatsApp, I got to the message I had sent to Michael, and I remember when I was on my way, he had not replied or read the message, so I clicked on the message. To my greatest surprise, not only was the message read, but it also showed he was online.”

Ojukwu claimed she attempted to contact him several times, but her calls went unanswered.

“I was so confused, asking myself if I had checked very well and if it was really Michael I saw lying in the pool of blood. Could it be that he is with his phone, or someone else was with it?. I didn’t call again that day,” she said.

Confusing Moments

Ojukwu explained that she contacted a man named Abu, who was responsible for turning on the generator and pump at the apartment. She asked him if he had seen Michael, to which he responded, “I saw him yesterday; he drove off.”

Ojukwu also stated that the gateman confirmed that Ataga’s car was still parked at the short-let. “Judging by what Abu told me, I said to myself, ‘What have I done?’” she recounted.

In a panic, she messaged Ataga on WhatsApp, apologising for leaving him in that state: “Please Michael forgive me, I did not mean to leave you in that state. I was very scared that I had to leave.”

However, she claimed she was later blocked on the messaging app and was unable to reach him anymore.

Communication Attempts, Growing Panic

She described her attempts to reach Ataga in the days following his death. “On June 19, 2021, I could not reach Michael on WhatsApp, so I sent SMS messages. It was delivered a couple of times,” she said.

Two days later, on June 22, she recalled how her sister, Chioma (the third defendant), called to check on her. After their conversation, Chioma came to stay with her.

Ojukwu told the court, “She came on June 22. I remember her telling me that she had just misplaced her phone. At that time, she was in the East. I decided to give her my iPhone 7 Plus, which I had been using the previous year.”

Chidinma was arrested by the police on June 23, 2021. During her interrogation, she said police officers questioned her about Ataga’s phone and car.

“When I told them I didn’t have any property belonging to the deceased, one of the officers slapped me,” she claimed. “But my father intervened, and they handcuffed me and put me in a vehicle.”

She further narrated, “We went straight to the DCP’s office. He was questioning me, and I said I didn’t know about his death. I said I rushed to him, and out of fear, I took my things. They handcuffed my father.”

Ojukwu continued by describing how the DCP accused her father of obstructing the officers’ duties.

“They took my father and me to the house. We were in the corridor when the officers entered the room. They brought out my phones, my laptop, a black disposable bag containing the clothes I wore that day, documents I mistakenly took from the apartment, and complimentary cards with ID cards.”

She also detailed the police’s alleged mistreatment during her time at the station. “They took me to a smaller room, where my left hand was handcuffed to a seat. There were three or four officers present. One of them, Bamidele, brought out a plain sheet and a pen and told me to write a statement.”

According to Ojukwu, when she requested a lawyer, Bamidele allegedly responded, “There’s no lawyer coming for you, and no one will be allowed to see you while you’re in the station.” She claimed she was slapped during the interrogation and pressured into writing a statement.

Bamidele reportedly told her, “If you love your family, save them, or they’ll be charged alongside you.” she stated, “I started writing the statement because of what he said.”

Further Allegations

Ojukwu claimed that when she completed the statement, the investigating officer rejected it and tore it up, insisting she write a new one with the correct details of Ataga’s death.

“He showed me pictures of Michael lying on the floor of the apartment and photos of a rope, which he claimed I had used to tie Michael. I said, ‘No, sir. I could not possibly tie Michael. He is so huge.’

“He asked why I had Ataga’s bank statements, and I said I didn’t know,” she recounted. “He asked about my UNILAG ID card, and I told him I was a student at UNILAG.”

Justice Adesanya adjourned the case until April 29, 2025, for further proceedings.